water test level adjustments

[Mlonghorns]

Hi,

So I have recently gotten rid of the 4 goldfish in my 45 gallon tank and decided to make some adjustments to house a variety of freshwater fish. After I took out the goldfish I decided to switch from gravel to sand (I used hth pool filter sand) and I also had to replace my filter bc it burnt out.

This tank has had fish in it for around 2 years and the levels were slightly high for nitrate bc of the goldfish but nothing else was really an issue. Now that I have had the tank running with the sand, new filter, and new heater, my nitrite and nitrate levels are really high but my ammonia levels are perfect. I'm thinking maybe I removed too much good bacteria when I removed the gravel and replaced the filter.

Any suggestions on how to level these out so I can begin adding my new fish? Would adding some of that old gravel into the filter with some bioballs kick start the good bacteria growth? Thanks!

 

[Yorg]

Yes, it's possible a mini-cycle started because of the changes to the substrate and filter. What is your nitrite right now? If it's not too high and if you already have fish in the tank you could use Prime along with water changes to protect the fish from nitrite poisoning while the cycle is getting reestablished. I assume you've taken the old gravel out of the tank and it's now dry? If so, then it wouldn't have any beneficial bacteria left on it. I would keep testing and hold off adding the new fish until your nitrite zeros out and you're sure your cycle is back.

 

[Mlonghorns]

Yes, it's possible a mini-cycle started because of the changes to the substrate and filter. What is your nitrite right now? If it's not too high and if you already have fish in the tank you could use Prime along with water changes to protect the fish from nitrite poisoning while the cycle is getting reestablished.

Thanks for the fast response! I don't currently have any fish in the aquarium but I was planning to add them on Friday if the test all level out. These are my current test results compared to my tap water test results.

Tap Water Results:
pH: 6.4
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0

Current Water Results:
pH: 7.6-8.0
Ammonia: 0-.25ppm
Nitrite: 2-5ppm
Nitrate: 40-80ppm

Is there anything I should add to the water right now to help level this out? And how often should I change the water/what percentage change? Also I kept the gravel in a bucket filled with water do you think it could help? Thank you!

 

[Yorg]

Thanks for the fast response! I don't currently have any fish in the aquarium but I was planning to add them on Friday if the test all level out. These are my current test results compared to my tap water test results.

Tap Water Results:
pH: 6.4
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0

Current Water Results:
pH: 7.6-8.0
Ammonia: 0-.25ppm
Nitrite: 2-5ppm
Nitrate: 40-80ppm

Is there anything I should add to the water right now to help level this out? And how often should I change the water/what percentage change? Also I kept the gravel in a bucket filled with water do you think it could help? Thank you!

******************************************
No, it looks like you're doing everything right. You could nudge up the temperature into the '80s temporarily and add some aeration (if you have the means to do so). Both of those often help speed up the growth of the beneficial bacteria.

Nitrites of 2 to 5ppm are toxic, so if you do add fish in a few days it would be a good idea to use the water conditioner Prime every day until they come down. Prime will help protect your fish from nitrite poisoning until the nitrite zeros out.

Since your nitrates are getting pretty high, a water change of at least 30% every few days or so should help you get them down a bit (ideal would be 40 or under). Once you've added your fish you'll want to monitor nitrates again, since they'll rise in the presence of organic matter. Even though nitrate is nowhere near as toxic as nitrite or ammonia, it can still cause problems if it gets too high.

My only concern about the gravel would be that, after sitting in unaerated water for a few days without a nitrogen supply, the beneficial bacteria may all be dead.

 

[Mlonghorns]

******************************************
No, it looks like you're doing everything right. You could nudge up the temperature into the '80s temporarily and add some aeration (if you have the means to do so). Both of those often help speed up the growth of the beneficial bacteria.

Okay great! I have increased the temperature and I have also added a power head, an air stone, and some bioballs and some Fluval Biomax into my filter for additional bacteria surface area. I think I will hold off on the fish until my nitrites zero out. I did another test tonight prior to the aeration and temperature increase and my numbers have dropped slightly which is encouraging. The new numbers were:

pH: 8.2
Ammonia: 0-.25 (I'd say closer to 0)
Nitrites: 2-3 ppm
Nitrates: 20-40 ppm

Would a 25% water change everyday help? Or should I just stick with every other day as you mentioned previously? Also, how long would you guess it will take for the nitrite zeros out so that I can begin adding fish?

Thanks again for the help, Yorg!

 

[Yorg]

Okay great! I have increased the temperature and I have also added a power head, an air stone, and some bioballs and some Fluval Biomax into my filter for additional bacteria surface area. I think I will hold off on the fish until my nitrites zero out. I did another test tonight prior to the aeration and temperature increase and my numbers have dropped slightly which is encouraging. The new numbers were:

pH: 8.2
Ammonia: 0-.25 (I'd say closer to 0)
Nitrites: 2-3 ppm
Nitrates: 20-40 ppm

Would a 25% water change everyday help? Or should I just stick with every other day as you mentioned previously? Also, how long would you guess it will take for the nitrite zeros out so that I can begin adding fish?

Thanks again for the help, Yorg!

*****************************************
That's great, Mlonghorns. Since you don't have fish in the tank right now there's no need to do water changes until you're confident that the cycle is established. Once it is, a moderate water change (maybe 40% or so) before adding fish should do the trick.

Judging by the info you provided, and especially the fact that you're getting nitrates, I think it's likely that the nitrite will bottom out over the next several days. You could add a couple of drops of pure ammonia or even a pinch of fish food to the tank and then test to see if the ammonia and nitrite drop rapidly; if they do, you have an established cycle at that point. Your high ph is actually good for the formation of the beneficial bacteria, as are the temp and the additional aeration. It sounds like you have plenty of surface area on your biomedia for them to colonize.

Since your ammonia is close to zero and your nitrites appear to be on their way down, you could even add a fish or two now to start feeding the beneficial bacteria with organic matter, although if you do it might be a good idea to dose with Prime (if you have some available) to protect them until both ammonia and nitrite are zero.

It looks to me like you're doing everything right and you're almost there!

 

[Mlonghorns]

Okay perfect I will try the ammonia drops today! How long after adding the ammonia should I wait to retest the water? Also I still have some left over Aqueon Water Conditioner if that would work in place of the Prime? I may add a couple cardinal tetras tomorrow.

This is my tentative list of fish as of now:

2 Angelfish
2 German Blue Rams
5 Gudgeon Peacocks
5 Cardinal Tetras
5 Julii Cory Cats
And possibly a couple snails or crayfish

I am planning to get the tetras and peacocks first and slowly introduce the angels and gbr's and I'll also wait for Algae form before adding the Corys

 

[Yorg]

Okay perfect I will try the ammonia drops today! How long after adding the ammonia should I wait to retest the water? Also I still have some left over Aqueon Water Conditioner if that would work in place of the Prime? I may add a couple cardinal tetras tomorrow.

This is my tentative list of fish as of now:

2 Angelfish
2 German Blue Rams
5 Gudgeon Peacocks
5 Cardinal Tetras
5 Julii Cory Cats
And possibly a couple snails or crayfish

I am planning to get the tetras and peacocks first and slowly introduce the angels and gbr's and I'll also wait for Algae form before adding the Corys

**************************************
I'd wait at least 12 hours after dosing to test the ammonia again. That should be plenty of time to allow the bacteria to process it and give you an idea of how rapidly it's being taken care of.

I'm not familiar with the Aqueon product, but not all water conditioners protect against ammonia/nitrite poisoning. Check the package carefully and make sure it says that it "detoxifies ammonia and nitrite." If it doesn't, then it probably won't be of any help in protecting the fish (although it should deal with any chlorine/chloramine you might have in your tap water).

About your stocking list, the only thing I'd mentioned is that your current ph (I think you said it's running 7.5 to 8) is a little high for some of the fish you listed. If the LFS where you plan to buy them has similar ph in its water you're probably fine, and captive-bred fishes can usually handle a wider range of conditions than wild-caught, but it's worth checking. If at the end of your cycle your ph stabilizes around 6.5 or so then you should be okay.

Can't wait to see pics!

 

[Mlonghorns]

So I rechecked the water levels today after adding the ammonia and they are as follows:

pH: 7.2-7.6 (decent drop was sitting 8-8.2)
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: .25 ppm
Nitrate: 40-80 ppm

So it cycled out the ammonia and I gained nitrates but my nitrite levels are still holding steady at .25 ppm. I'm going to get a couple cardinal tetras tonight and I checked the Aquion conditioner and it did say it "detoxifies ammonia and nitrite" so I think they will be safe. I'll update with pictures as soon as the nitrites level out and I can add the rest of the group!

 

[Yorg]

Great news!

 

[Mlonghorns]

Hey, so my ammonia and nitrite levels all zeroed out, pH dropped to 7, and my nitrates are sitting between 10-20 ppm! My list of fish has actually changed tho, the new list is:

1 Angelfish (still debating this one),
2 German Blue Rams,
6 Peacock Gudgeons,
4 Black Phantom Delta Guppies (male),
2 Lyretail Guppies (male),
10 Cardinal Tetras,
5 Otos, and
3 Black Khuli Loaches.

I checked the compatability and bio-load of all of these species using the aqadvisor compatability calculator. I have a Marineland Penguin 350 filter (70 gal) and a Submersible SunSun JP-044F filter (40 gal), so my filtration should be fine; especially if I decide not to add the Angelfish.

(AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor)

I currently have an airstone and a Hydor Koralia 1 powerhead that are running in combination with the sunsun filter, which has a gentle spray bar with a 210 gph adjustable flow-rate to help with the oxygenation of the water. I am also planting some dwarf hairgrass tomorrow! Any objections or recommendations to the list or powerhead flow speeds or anything else???

Here are some pictures of my aquarium right now. It is currently filled with the guppies, peacocks, and the two cardinal tetras that I got to kick start the cycle. I am picking up the otos, black Khulis, and the rest of the cardinal tetras buddies on Tuesday and I'll be waiting till March to introduce the GBR's!

 

[Mlonghorns]

Here are the pics!

 

[Yorg]

Great looking tank!